Southern California -- this just in

Man charged with shooting woman, dumping her body in police pursuit

September 11, 2012 | 1:20
pm

A 30-year-old reputed gang member was charged Tuesday with fatally shooting a woman and pushing her from a car during a chase.

Juan Diego Valencia, 30, is charged with killing Selene Mayoral, 24, on Thursday and then during a police pursuit pushing her body out of a green Mercury Cougar, prosecutors said. He is being held on $2.05 million bail.

Valencia's alleged murder plot was uncovered when Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies attempted to pull over his Mercury in Lynwood about 11:15 p.m. Thursday, according to prosecutors. Valencia took off and at one point pulled the car over at the intersection of Josephine Street and Harris Avenue and opened the door and pushed the body of the female passenger out before speeding away, prosecutors allege.

Mayoral had been shot once in the head and died at the scene, authorities said. Valencia was arrested early Friday after barricading himself in an apartment in Hawthorne at the end of the chase. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison, prosecutors said.